Masako Melissa Hirsch

Senior Researcher, Video • Vox.com • New York, NY
Last edited February 28, 2023

Masako Melissa Hirsch is a journalist working for Vox.com’s award-winning video team, where she oversees research. Through her role, she works to strengthen the reporting and research processes and standards across Vox Video, including managing reporting initiatives, data dives and public records requests. She’s also part of the team behind the series, “Missing Chapter,” which has garnered millions of views, two Emmy nominations, and was a series winner for Best Digital Storytelling from the Online Journalism Awards. She previously worked as a researcher for late-night show “The Opposition with Jordan Klepper.” Before that, she worked on investigative projects as a fellow at Columbia Journalism School, including its investigation into the fossil fuel industry’s long-time knowledge about climate change and the Panama Papers. She’s a graduate of Columbia’s Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism and Loyola University New Orleans. Melissa speaks Japanese and French and is an eternal New Orleanian at heart.